A Heartbeat Laid Still
by captainisqueen
Summary: Death brushes them both with cold fingers, and she shivers. His heartbeat is still, and she can't ground herself with it because it's gone, and she'll never have it with her again. Warning: Major Character Death
1. Chapter 1

She doesn't understand what's happening. His movements are erratic, his eyes filled with fear, and in that moment, everything clicks. He gasps, a single word leaving his mouth in a rushed shout.

"Run!"

Levana tightens her glamour's hold, and Cress knows what's coming, and she does run, towards him, but someone's holding her back, whether it's for her own good or not, she doesn't care, _she has to get to him_.

A gunshot rings through the air, and he grunts. "No!" She screams and lashes out. She breaks free and sprints over to him, where he's lying on the ground, his breathing shallow, his skin paling at a speed she can't believe.

"Carswell," she whispers, "no." She's crying now, and she just wants him to come back to her. He murmurs, so quiet only she can hear it.

"Cress," he starts, but it's soft and she can barely hear him. "I love you so much. I-I'm sorry."

She's sobbing, and she kisses him, and it's rushed and passionate, and she loves how his lips feel, keeping the sensation in her memory. She entangles her fingers in his hair, giving him the kiss he was waiting for, just as he did for her. She never will forget him.

She pulls back, and the light is leaving his eyes, and it's leaving hers too, because she can't stand a world where he's not there. "I love you too, Captain." Death brushes them both with cold fingers, and she shivers. Nothing makes sense.

A voice behind her speaks gently. "Cress... he's gone."

She hugs him one last time, and the tears start falling even harder. His heartbeat is still, and she can't ground herself with it because it's gone, and she'll never have it with her again. People lift her up, and she doesn't know who, but she doesn't care. He's not one of them.

Five, ten, fifteen years go by, and she passes so many men on the streets, meets them in restaurants, with brown hair, blue eyes, nothing like his were, crystalline and sparkling, full of mischief. None of them can even begin to measure up to him.

Kai and Scarlet try to set her up on dates, but she can't part with him, how selfless he was, how much he loved her, how much she loved him. She can't get over it and she finds herself slipping away, going, going, gone.

The smell of blood follows her everywhere she goes, and she can't get rid of it, no matter how hard she tries. It's a part of her now.

 _It's not fair._ She's acting like a child, but she doesn't care. She is a child. All of her friends got their happily ever afters. What about her?

Strangers try to help her, referring her to countless psychiatrists.

 _You say his name was Thorne?_

 _Yes._

 _And you say you can hear him talk to you?_

She tries to tell them that she's not a basket case. No one listens. They tell her that her crush was bordering on obsession. That she was crazy. She gives up on them, playing games, trying to see how long before they refer her to a colleague, trying to make herself seem like a maniac. It's something he would have done. And she can hear him, laughing, and she laughs too.

She sees him in her dreams, just as he always was, sparkling blue eyes filled with mischief. He was always up to something. She savors those moments, keeping them with her forever.

Until they come true, when she's passed on and she lives in a soft world with no edges. She wanders around aimlessly until Captain Carswell Thorne, his eyes brighter than they ever were, finds his way back to her, just as he's always done.

* * *

 **I can't forgive myself for this one. I'm sorry.**


	2. Chapter 2

_She wanders around aimlessly until Captain Carswell Thorne, his eyes brighter than they ever were, finds his way back to her, just as he's always done._

" _Aces..._ Is that you, Cress?" His face is full of hope, and it brightens even more when she nods her head vigorously.

"It's me, Captain." She's grinning now, and she rushes forward and hugs him tightly. "I've missed you so much. I've gone through so many psychiatrists. They all think I'm crazy. I'm a legend!" He laughs, and it makes her heart swell with pride.

"How long did they last?" He has an expectant look on his face, almost as if he can predict what her answer will be.

"The last one, about half of a session." He chuckles, and sighs.

"Stars, Cress." He runs his fingers through his hair. "How were Cinder and the rest of the gang?"

She shrugs. "They got along pretty well. After all, they had their own fairy-tale endings." He frowns.

"You're not bitter about that, are you?" She shrugs again.

"It wasn't their faults. I was happy for them. Besides, they actually treated me normally."

Thorne smiles sadly, but it only lasts for a second, before his expression changes to a mischievous grin. "So, what do you want to do first?" Cress cocks her head to the side in a confused manner.

"What do you mean?"

"Cress! We can explore the whole world! No pesky people to get in our way! They won't see us unless we want them to. I mean, we'd have to go to the department heads if we wanted that, but that's another story. We could go to all the places we never visited. Paris, Rome," he smirks, "we could even go around and start haunting people. You know, moving things, grabbing their legs when they're asleep. What do you say?"

She smiles. "I think I'd like to visit a few certain psychiatrists of mine."

* * *

They run out of the house, where the windows glow and silhouettes move around frantically. Collapsing on the lawn in giggles, Cress and Thorne take in deep lungfuls of air.

"Did you see his face, when we pulled him off the bed? He was terrified!"

"And when his wife started floating towards the ceiling?" They laugh even harder at that. Suddenly, Thorne sighs. Cress frowns.

"What's wrong, Captain?" Thorne glances at her.

"Oh, nothing. That was just the most fun I've had in a long time. I miss things like that. Escaping from people, and the taste of chocolate ice cream, and warm sunshine. I mean, this is fun, but it makes you think. I'm never going to feel sunshine again." He looks at Cress. "At least I can't get sunburn." She smiles at that.

"Carswell, do you want to go to the beach tomorrow?"

He's puzzled. "What for?"

"We can still look at the people, can't we? And we can go swimming. We could go deep down into the ocean and look at the fish. What do you say?"

Thorne grins. "We don't even have to pack sunscreen."

* * *

The ocean is beautiful. Fish swim in schools all around them, and the two amuse themselves by naming the creatures.

"I love you, Carswell."

"That's an odd name for a fish," he jokes, and Cress elbows him lightly in the ribs. He shakes it off and hugs her. "I love you too, Cress."

The coral all around them is bright and bold, and a small fish swims up to their feet. It's a shame he can't feel it, but he thinks that the animals can see them. It's a childish thought, but he can afford to think like that now that he has nothing to worry about. He's snapped out of his reverie by Cress's voice.

"Your material is getting worse." He pulls her close and plants a kiss on her forehead.

"I guess I just need some inspiration then."

Their day draws to a close as they make their way back to the afterworld, and they're already planning their next outing. Chicago? L.A.? London? Frankly, Thorne doesn't care where they go, as long as he can spend more time with his darling Cress.


End file.
